Features

Knoll Returns to the Bauhaus

Hosted by none other than the iconic Bauhaus, now known as Bauhaus-Universitat Weimar, Demetrio Apolloni, Knoll Europe President, explored the very roots that connect Knoll - as the pioneering furniture brand we see today - to its humble beginnings, one of which, starts with the Bauhaus. The Bauhaus-Universitat Weimar had invited Karen Stone, Knoll Director of Design, to teach a two-week long design workshop. As part of her three-dimensional design curriculum, Stone invited Apolloni to lecture on the the Universities historic relationship with the Bauhaus. The lecture took place on June 26, 2018.

Titled "Modern Always. Good Design is Good Business?," the Bauhaus Master Lecture discussed the foundation of "Modern," with its development across materiality, accessibility, craft, rational design and color, and the role Knoll, as a furniture manufacturer, played in promoting these nascent design principles. Apolloni used classics such as Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Chair to illustrate how Bauhaus ideals came together to create something truly groundbreaking.

Addressing the second half of the lecture's title, Apolloni and Stone discussed how the "Modern" aesthetic traveled to the United States with Hans Knoll at the helm. Starting his own furniture company and meeting Florence Bassett, who brought with her an American take on "Modern" studied at Cranbrook Academy, the Bauhaus traditions found their home from which to grow.

Today, the tight bonds to the design principles established at the Bauhaus and Cranbrook continue to influence and inform the Knoll portfolio. What was once a set of ideals for the production of a physical object, are now a way of being and creating a space that makes living and working better. From the evolving workspaces to the innovative object furniture, Knoll's ties to the Bauhaus continue to strengthen, further highlighting the institutions' importance to the growth of the brand.